Ski carrier and case

ABSTRACT

A ski carrier for alternatively transporting skis by manually carrying, by a vehicle mounting the ski carrier therein, or by a common carrier. The ski carrier has a case having a cover portion and a holder portion, and an end cap positionable over an opening in a first end of the case when the cover and holder portions thereof are closed.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/326,644, filed Oct.20, 1994, now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of applicationSer. No. 08/022,711, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,333 filed Feb. 24, 1993.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns ski carriers and, more particularly, aski carrier that can be alternatively transported manually or by vehiclethrough being mounted thereon.

To enjoy a day of skiing, most skiers must travel to a skiing facilityand must transport their skis from their home or lodging to the skiingfacility. Many skiers travel to the skiing facility by automobile andmust therefore have a ski carrier capable of carrying skis on theautomobile. Once at the skiing facility, parking is often a substantialdistance from the ski slopes. Therefore, there is a need for a skicarrier that permits the manual carrying of skis from the automobile tothe slopes. In addition, automobile travel to a skiing facility is oftenpreceded by an airplane flight which imposes varied demands on a skicarrier both for carrying and as baggage.

A number of types of vehicle-mounted ski carriers are available fortransporting skis. In addition, a number of types of ski carriers areavailable for manually transporting skis. However, a ski carrierconvenient for vehicle-mounting is often inconvenient as a manual skicarrier.

A typical ski carrier is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,759 to Wnek. Thisski carrier, as with many other vehicle-mounted ski carriers, requires arelatively permanently mounted bracket on the vehicle. Vacationingskiers, not uncommonly, rent an automobile on which they wish to carryskis. Therefore, having a ski carrier which can be mounted on anautomobile without the use of any complicated or relatively permanentadditional mounting devices is much desired.

Many vehicle-mounted ski carriers expose skis to rain, wind, salt andobject impacts due to following cars, causing damage to the skis. Hence,there is a substantial advantage in having a ski carrier that completelyencloses and thus protects the skis. Particularly of further advantage,enclosing with a relatively rigid structure obviates the need. toindividually wrap skis to prevent edge damage during baggage handlingduring the course of airplane travel. Also, a ski carrier should bedesigned such that it cannot open accidentally, resulting in a pile ofskis and poles on the ground or, worse yet, on the road. Further, thecarrier should be lockable to secure the skis to a significant extentagainst theft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a ski carrier for alternativelytransporting skis by manual carrying, by a vehicle mounting the skicarrier thereon, or by a common carrier. The ski carrier comprises acase having a cover portion and a holder portion, and an end cappositionable over an opening in the first end of the case when the coverand holder portions thereof are closed.

The cover and holder portions of the case can be attached at a side ofeach so that the case can conveniently be placed in either an open or aclosed position to permit putting skis therein when the case is in theopen position and at least partially enclosing such skis when the caseis in the closed position. When in the closed position, the case has thegeneral shape of an elongated container having an opening at the firstend thereof. Groove and fitted ridge on the interface locations of thecover portion and the case portion strengthen the case against twisting.

The end cap also has the general shape of a somewhat elongated containerhaving an opening at one end thereof larger than the closed case andhaving a rigid, unitary wall therearound. If the case is in the closedposition, the end cap can be slid over the first end of the case toprevent any significant opening of the case cover and holder portionsfrom the closed position. A plurality of parallel ridges on the coverand holder portions of the case are received by a plurality of elongatedrecesses in the end cap in a detent-like arrangement to aid in holdingthe end cap in place aligned with the case. The end cap can be securedby a bolt insertable through a pair of holes in the end cap and througha selected matching one of a plurality of locking holes in the case.

Wheels added to an end of the case makes permits convenient moving ofsame. Set in from the end, wheels can be provided allowing the case tobe positioned upright on a flattened end. Exteriorly mounted lugsimprove vehicle attachment and outer packing characteristics of thecase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a pictorial view of the assembled ski carrier of thepresent invention mounted on a vehicle,

FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of a part of the ski carrier in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 shows a pictorial view of the end cap portion of the presentinvention,

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the case portion of the present invention inan open position,

FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of the case portion taken along theline 6--6 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of a part of both the case and theend cap portions of the ski carrier taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 8 shows a top view of an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention,

FIG. 9 shows a pictorial view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention,

FIG. 10 shows a pictorial view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 9with the case portion in an open position,

FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional view of the case portion taken along theline 11--11 of FIG. 9,

FIG. 12 shows a cross sectional view of the case portion taken along theline 12--12 of FIG. 9,

FIG. 13 shows a pictorial view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention,

FIG. 14 shows a pictorial view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 13with the case portion in an open position,

FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the case portion taken alongline 15--15 of FIG. 13,

FIG. 16 shows a partial elevational view of the case, FIG. 17 shows across-sectional view of the case portion taken along line 17--17 of FIG.16,

FIG. 18 shows a fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 17,

FIG. 19 shows a fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 17, and

FIG. 20 shows a representational view of a carrier or case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A vehicle, 10, having a ski carrier, 12, of the present inventionmounted thereon is shown in FIG. 1. Ski carrier 12 comprises a case, 14,having a cover portion, 16, and a holder portion, 18, an end cap, 20,and two strap assemblies, 22. Cover portion 16, holder portion 18, andend cap 20 are each fabricated from a suitable molded polymer.

Cover portion 16 and holder portion 18 of case 14 are shown attached toone another in the side-by-side positioning thereof in FIG. 5. Coverportion 16 of case 14 has the general shape of an elongated halfcontainer having a generally rectangular cover major wall, 24, a firstside, 26, a second side, 28, and an end, 30. A handle portion, 32,protrudes from and extends along first side 26. Cover portion 16 alsohas a lip, 34, which extends beyond the edges of first side 26, end 30,and handle portion 32. No end is provided across cover major wall 24opposite end 30, leaving an open end in cover portion 16. A plurality ofoutwardly protruding, equally spaced, elongated parallel ridges, 36, aremolded into cover major wall 24, such that there are recesses in theinner surface thereof, and extend perpendicular to both first side 26and second side 28.

Holder portion 18 of case 14 is substantially the same size as coverportion 16 viewed from the top in FIG. 5, and also has the general shapeof an elongated half container having a generally rectangular holdermajor wall, 38, a first side, 40, a second side, 42, and an end, 44. Noend is provided across holder major wall 38 opposite end 44, leaving anopen end in holder portion 18. A handle portion, 46, protrudes from andextends along first side 40. First side 40 and second side 42 of holderportion 18 each have two openings, 48, therein located such that thoseopenings 48 in first side 40 are located directly opposite thoseopenings 48 in second side 42. A plurality of outwardly protruding,equally spaced, elongated parallel ridges, 50, are molded into holdermajor wall 38, such that there are recesses in the inner surfacethereof, and extend perpendicular to both first side 40 and second side42.

A plurality of outwardly protruding, generally rectangular supports, 52,are molded into holder major wall 38. Supports 52 are seen from the topin FIG. 5, but are better seen in FIG. 6. Each support 52 has a pad, 54,attached to an outer surface, 56, of support 52, and has a hole, 58, topermit liquid, such as melted snow, to drain from holder portion 18 ofcase 14.

Four pairs of holder bracket ridges, 60, protrude inwardly from holderportion 18 with two pairs protruding from each of first side 40 andsecond side 42. All holder bracket ridges 60 are substantiallyperpendicular to holder major wall 38 in direction of extent, i.e.vertically oriented in FIG. 6. Members of each pair of holder bracketridges 60 are spaced apart from one another. Two metal brackets, 62, areinserted in holder portion 18, each end of each bracket 62 beingpositioned in one of the spaces between a corresponding pair of holderbracket ridges 60. A straight side, 64, of each bracket 62 is in or nearcontact with holder major wall 38. A first side 66, of each bracket ispositioned between a pair of holder bracket ridges 60 protruding inwardfrom first side 40. A second side, 67, of each bracket is positionedbetween an opposing pair of holder bracket ridges 60 protruding inwardfrom second side 42.

Each bracket 62 has two pairs of upward extending, spaced apart columns,68, having rectangular cross sections. Each pair of columns 68 formsbetween them a slot, 70, in which a pair of skis, 72, may be inserted.Columns 68 secure skis 72 between them to tend to prevent them fromslapping against one another, or sliding back and forth in contact withone another, to result in scratching of ski surfaces. Also, ski polesmay be wedged between columns 68 and skis 72 for transport in case 14.Two foam strips, 74, are attached to cover major wall 24, with eachstrip 74 positioned in cover portion 16 such that it is directlyopposite each bracket 62 in holder portion 18 if cover portion 16 andholder portion 18 are closed against one another as shown in FIGS. 1 and6.

End cap 20 is shown separately in FIG. 4 rather than as assembled withcase 14 as in FIG. 1 and has the general shape of a somewhat elongatedcontainer having an end opening, 76, in a first end 78. A second end,84, of end cap 20 is acutely angled with respect to a cap support majorwall, 86, shown in FIG. 4, and obtusely angled with respect to anopposite cap containment major wall, 88, shown in FIG. 1, to minimizethe air resistance of ski carrier 12 encountered in facing forward on amoving vehicle. Two supports 52 are molded into cap support major wail86. Each support 52 has a pad 54 attached to its outer surface 56 andhas an opening 58 that permits liquid in end cap 20 to be drained.

End cap 20 is shown with case 14 inserted therein in FIG. 7. Both capcontainment major wall 88 and cap support major wall 86 have a pluralityof outwardly protruding, equally spaced, elongated parallel ridges, 90,molded therein such that there are recesses, 92, in the inner surfacesthereof. Each recess 92 in one of these inner surfaces is directlyacross from a recess 92 in the other inner surface. Each recess 92 has ashape that permits one of ridges 36 in cover portion 16 and an oppositeone of ridges 50 in holder portion 18 to be nestled therein with end cap20 slid over the open ends of cover and holder portions 16 and 18 ofcase 14 so as to tend to keep end cap 20 aligned with case 14.

A handle cap, 94, shown in FIG. 4, protrudes from a first side, 95, ofend cap 20 and provides additional space in end cap 20 so that handleportion 32 of cover portion 16 and handle portion 46 of holder portion18 can be received therein. Handle cap 94 has an end opening, 96, at afirst end, 98, that is flush with first end 78 of end cap 20. A secondend, 100, of handle cap 94 is acutely angled with respect to first side95 of end cap 20 to minimize the air resistance of ski carrier 12encountered in facing forward on a moving vehicle. End cap 20, includinghandle cap 94, is shown in FIG. 3 with case 14 inserted therein. Handlecap 94 has a cap containment side hole, 102, in a cap containment sidesurface, 104, and a cap support side hole, 106, in a cap support sidesurface, 108.

Second side 28 of cover portion 16 is attached to second side 42 ofholder portion 18 by a hinge, 110, shown in FIG. 5. Hinge 110 can be aflexible membrane, integrally molded to both cover portion 16 and holderportion 18, a two-part metal hinge with parts screwed into cover portion16 and holder portion 18, or another suitable type of hinge includingone allowing detachment of the portions. Hinge 110 permits cover portion16 to be positioned with respect to holder portion 18 such that case 14may be varied between open and closed positions.

When case 14 is in a closed position, cover portion 16 covers holderportion 18 such that lip 34 extends over the edges of first side 40, end44, and handle portion 46 of holder portion 18. Both strips 74 attachedto cover major wall 24 come into contact with any skis 72 in slots 70and hold those skis in place. In addition, handle portion 32 and handleportion 46 come together to form a single composite handle, 111, shownin FIG. 1.

If case 14 is in the open position, as shown in FIG. 5, the interiors ofcover portion 16 and handle portion 18 are exposed. In this openposition of case 14, skis 72 may be easily inserted therein or removedtherefrom.

End opening 76 in end cap 20 and end opening 96 in handle cap 94 arelarge enough to permit a first end, 112, or open end, of case 14 to passtherethrough and into end cap 20 if case 14 is in the closed position.If case 14 is inserted a selected one of several predetermined distancesinto end cap 20, ridges 36 on cover portion 16 and ridges 50 on holderportion 18 will be nestled in corresponding recesses 92 in end cap 20,which, as stated above, aid in holding end cap 20 in place and alignedwith case 14. Thus, ski carrier 12 can accommodate different lengths ofthe longest ski carried therein by selecting one of the discretedistances that first end 112 of case 14 can be inserted into end cap 20through selecting which ridges 36,50 will be nestled in recesses 92.

Handle 111, shown in FIG. 2, has a plurality of locking holes, 114,therein spaced along the direction of elongation of cover and holderportions 16 and 18 such that one locking hole 114 will automaticallyalign with cap containment side hole 102 and cap support side hole 106for each ridge-recess determined discrete distance that first end 112 ofcase 14 can be inserted into end cap 20. End cap 20 can thus be lockedin place to case 14 by a bolt, 116, which is inserted through capcontainment side hole 102, the selected locking hole 114, and capsupport side hole 106. Bolt 116, having a hole therethroughperpendicular to its long direction axis at the end thereof opposite thehead end, can be secured by a lock, 118, as shown in FIG. 3, by havingthe shackle of lock 118 inserted through the bolt hole. Once end cap 20is over first end 112 of case 14 and secured thereto, cover portion 16and holder portion 18 are prevented from opening significantly withrespect to each other. Therefore, case 14 will remain closed againstaccidental opening or intrusion.

Each strap assembly 22 is shown in FIG. 5 and comprises a nylon (orwoven metal) strap, 120, two metal hooks, 122, and a tightening buckle,124, which may be kept within case 14 during airplane or manualtransport. To mount ski carrier 12 on a vehicle 10, an end of each strap120 with its hook 122 is inserted through a corresponding opening 48 infirst side 40 of holder portion 18, and the remaining end is insertedthrough the opposite corresponding opening 48 in second side 42 ofholder portion 18. Ski carrier 12 can be placed on vehicle 10 such thatcase 14 is supported thereon by supports 52 and pads 54. First end 112,or the open end, of case 14 can be oriented such that it is facingforward. Each hook 122 can then be taken from where it emerges from itscorresponding opening 48 and extended to hook to a suitable portion ofvehicle 10, such as a rain gutter or door frame. Strap 120, tightenedusing tightening buckle 124, secures each hook 122, and therefore case14, to vehicle 10. Case 14 can then be closed by closing cover portion16 against holder portion 18, and end cap 20 can be slid over first end112 of case 14. End cap 20 is then secured to case 14 using bolt 116.

Locating tightening buckle 124 within case 14 provides a measure ofsecurity against ski carrier 12 being removed, as there is no access totightening buckle 124 when cap 20 is secured to case 14. However, ifsecurity is not a problem tightening buckle 24 may be located outsidecase 14 which would allow quick access to tightening buckle 124 forremoval of the case 14 from vehicle 10.

To remove ski carrier 12, so attached, from vehicle 10, end cap 20 isremoved from case 14. Case 14 is then opened and strap 120 loosened. Allhooks 122 can then be unhooked from vehicle 10 and ski carrier 12 can beremoved.

A first alternative embodiment of ski carrier 12 is shown in FIG. 8. Skicarrier 12 is similar to that described above except that the dimensionsof a case, 128, and an end cap, 130, are enlarged to permit ski carrier12 to hold more equipment, including a number of ski poles, 132, and skiboots, 133. A metal bracket, 134, attached to holder portion, 136, ofcase 128 is adapted to hold ski poles 132. First end 112 of case 128 isinserted into end cap 130 in the same manner as described above.

A further alternative ski carrier, 12', is shown in FIG. 9. Ski carrier12' comprises a case, 14', having a cover portion, 16', and a holderportion, 18', and further comprises an end cap, 20'. Again, the same twostrap assemblies 22 are provided but are not shown fully deployed. Asbefore, cover portion 16', holder portion 18', and end cap 20' are eachfabricated from a suitable molded polymer.

Cover portion 16' and holder portion 18' of case 14' are shown attachedto one another in the side-by-side presentation thereof provided in FIG.10. Cover portion 16' of case 14' again has the general shape of anelongated, open top container having a generally rectangular shape witha missing end, and is formed from a cover major wall, 24', of thatgeneral shape and a first side, 26', a second side, 28', and an end,30', joined more or less perpendicularly thereto at the outer boundariesthereof. A lip portion, 34', extends in cover portion 16' a bit outwardbeyond the rest of first side 26' and end 30' in forming the longestfree edges of that side and end. There is no end structure between firstside 26' and second side 28' at the end of cover portion 16' oppositeend 30' so that an open end results at this location in cover portion16'. A raised end protrusion, 35, projects outwardly from major surface24' adjacent end 30' to serve as both a stop and a handle. Again, aplurality of outwardly protruding, equally spaced, elongated parallelridges, 36', are molded into major wall 24' of cover 16' such that thereare recesses in the inner surface thereof, these ridges extendingperpendicularly between first side 26' and second side 28'.

Holder portion 18' of case 14' again has substantially the same top viewsize as cover portion 16', and so again has the general shape of anelongated container having a generally rectangular shape with a missingend, but is of greater depth than is cover portion 16'. Holder portion18' includes a holder major wall, 38', of a generally rectangular shapeand a first side, 40', a second side, 42', and an end, 44', extendinggenerally perpendicularly from the boundaries thereof. At the oppositeend, there is no end structure provided across major wall 38' betweenfirst side 40' and second side 42' opposite end 44' with the resultagain of leaving an open end in holder portion 18'. A handle, 46'protrudes from and extends along first side 40' of holder portion 18'.First side 40' and second side 42' of holder portion 18' each have twoopenings, 48', therein located such that those openings 48' in firstside 40' are located directly opposite corresponding openings 48' insecond side 42'. A plurality of outwardly protruding, equally spaced,elongated parallel ridges, 50', are molded into holder major wall 38'such that there are recesses in the inner surface thereof. Ridges 50'extend perpendicular to both first side 40' and second side 42'.

A plurality of supports, 52', that are outwardly protruding and slopesided, and have generally rectangularly shaped bottoms, are molded asparts of major holder wall 38'. Supports 52' are seen from the top inFIG. 10, but can be more fully from the views shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.Each of supports 52' (there are four of them) has a pad, 54', attachedto an outer surface, 56', at the bottom of that support, and each has ahole, 58', therethrough to permit liquid such as melted snow to drainfrom holder portion 18' of case 14' if that portion is oriented to bebetween cover portion 16' and earth such that a hole is at a relativelylow point.

A pair of wheel spaces are provided in holder portion 18' throughproviding notches at the bottom portions of the opposite ends of end44', and at the bottom portions of sides 40' and 42' where they meet end44', and at the opposite corners of major wall 38' where it meets firstside 40' and where it meets second side 42'. That is, these notches areprovided in these holder members at what would be the corners of holderportion 18' at end 44' thereof where these members would intersect inthe absence of such wheel spaces. Each of these wheel spaces iscompleted by a three-sided wheel well structure, 61, which completes thewheel space by joining the corresponding edges of the notches in majorsurface 38', end 44' and the corresponding side. Thus, one of structures61 is also joined with first side 40' and the other is also joined withsecond side 42'. A pair of wheels, 63, are provided in each of thesewheel spaces, these wheels being fastened to the side of thecorresponding three-sided wheel well structure which is approximatelyparallel to the corresponding one of first and second sides 40' and 42'.Wheels 63 allow ski carrier 12' to be lifted at the end of ski carrier12' opposite the end thereof having wheels 63 so that the carrier can bemoved across a surface on rotating wheels that will bear a significantfraction of the weight of that ski carrier and its contents.

End cap 20' is shown assembled as part of completely closed ski carrier12' in FIG. 9, but is shown separately and unassembled with open case14' in FIG. 10. End cap 20' again has generally the shape of a somewhatelongated container enclosing an interior space on all sides except anend thereof which has an opening (not shown) in the unitary structurematerial forming that end so that this cap can be slipped over case 14'when that case is closed (that is, having cover portion 16' fully overand against holder portion 18' to enclose an interior spacetherebetween). A handle, 80, is provided across a recess, 82, in an end,84, of end cap 20' opposite that having the opening therein such thatthis handle extends across much of this end. Handle 80 can convenientlybe used in connection with moving ski carrier 12' across a surface onwheels 63 as indicated by the dashed line representation of the raisedcap end of ski carrier 12' shown in FIG. 9. A support major surface,86', of end cap 20' is not shown in the figures but is formed much likesupport surface 86 of ski carrier 12 as shown in FIG. 4. Again, ribs andsupports are molded to form part of major surface 86', and a pad isattached to the bottom surface of outwardly protruding supports with anopening provided in such supports to permit liquid such as melted snowto drain out of end cap 20' if suitably oriented.

A containment major wall, 88', of end cap 20' can be seen in FIGS. 9 and10. Again, a plurality of outwardly protruding, equally spaced,elongated parallel ridges, 90, are molded as part of wall 88' such thatthere are recesses in the interior surface of that wall. As indicatedabove, similar ridges are molded as part of support major wall 86 sothat there are recesses therein in the interior surface of that wallacross from the similar recesses in end cap containment major wall 88'.These interior recesses inside end cap 20' permit receiving those ridges36' in cover portion 16' and ridges 50' in holder portion 18' to havethem nested therein if end cap 20' is slid over the open ends of thesecover and holder portions to thereby tend to keep end cap 20' alignedwith closed case 14'.

A handle cap or shroud, 94', is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 protruding froma first side, 95', of end cap 20' to accommodate therein handle 46' ofholder portion 18' by effectively adding to the interior space of endcap 20'. Thus, a part of handle 46' can be received in handle cap 94'for ski carrier 12' much as handle cap 94 in FIG. 4 receives thereinhandle portions 32 and 46 for ski carrier 12. A pair of holes onopposite sides of handle cap 94, toward the case end thereof, areprovided directly across from one another, one of this pair of holes,102', being seen in FIG. 10.

First side 26' of cover portion 16' is attachable to, and detachablefrom, first side 40' of holder portion 18' if case 14' is closed by apair of latches, 109, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12. Each oflatches 109 has a latching buckle, 109', mounted on holder portion 18'and a corresponding keeper, 109", mounted on cover portion 16'.

In addition, second side 28' of cover portion 16' is attached to secondside 42' of holder portion 18' whether case 14' is open or closed by ahinge, 110', as can be seen in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12. Here, hinge 110' isshown as a flexible membrane integrally molded to both cover portion 16'and holder portion 18'. Hinge 110' again permits cover portion 16' to bepositioned with respect to holder portion 18' such that case 14' may bevaried between open and closed positions.

If case 14' is in a closed position, cover portion 16' covers holderportion 18' such that lip 34' extends over the edges of first side 40'and end 44' of holder portion 18'. If case 14' is in the open position,as shown in FIG. 10, the interiors of cover portion 16' and holderportion 18' are exposed to permit the insertion of skis or otherequipment therein, or the removal of same therefrom.

Any such inserted skis are held by a closed case 14' between two foamliners, a thinner foam liner, 140, which fits into the interior of coverportion 16', and a thicker foam liner, 142, which fits into the interiorof holder portion 18'. Liners 140 and 142 are shown in dashed line formin FIG. 10. Back-to-back skis, 72', are stored in the interior of case14', there being two such pairs shown in FIG. 11 and a single pair shownin FIG. 12. In place of a second pair of skis 72' in FIG. 12, there isinstead shown one, 133', of a pair of boots enclosed in the interior ofcase 14' with the back thereof shown in the cross section view of thatFigure. No cutouts, partial material removals, slits, or other changesare required within either of foam liners 140 and 142 to accommodate andsecurely hold either skis or boots. However, such treatments of thesefoam liners can make such accommodations more convenient. Thedepressions shown in these foam liners due to the skis and bootsenclosed by them are sufficient to keep such items in the desiredlocation within case 14'.

As with ski carrier 12, the closing of case 14' permits inserting sameinto the opening at an end of end cap 20' described above so as toaccommodate different lengths of skis protruding out the open end ofcase 14'. Again, this accommodation is accomplished by a sequence oflocking holes, 114', provided along the length of handle 46' at the endcap end thereof. The aligning of hole 102' in end cap 20' with one ofholes 114' in handle 46' of holder 18' permits a bolt, 116', to beinserted through these holes so as to stick out past both sides of cap94' so that end cap 20' can be locked to case 14' if the bolt has a headon one end and the shackle of a lock passed through a hole in a bolt onthe opposite end thereof as with ski carrier 12. Alternatively, a lockwith a sufficiently long shackle can have that shackle inserted in placeof bolt 116' and locked directly to secure end cap 20' to case 14'.

Insertion of a closed case 14' into end cap 20' again has the effect ofpreventing case 14' from being opened. This follows because of thesingle-piece, or unitary, construction of end cap 20' about the openingtherein through the polymer material at an end thereof, as describedabove, which provides a rigid, unitary wall about case 14' at least atthe open end of end cap 20'. Small openings may be provided elsewhere inend cap 20' to permit inserting objects therein without the necessity ofremoving end cap 20' from about case 14' and without compromising thesecurity of skis and boots positioned in case 14' insofar as beingremoved therefrom.

Strap assemblies 22 for ski carrier 12' will operate just as strapassemblies 22 operate in connection with ski carrier 12. The strapsagain extend through holes 48', and between major wall 38' and foamliner 142.

A further alternative ski carrier, 12' is shown in FIGS. 13-15. Skicarrier 12" comprises a case, 14", having a cover portion, 16", and aholder portion, 18", and further comprises an end cap, 20". Ski carrier12" is similar to the carrier 12' described above with two exceptions.First, the widths of case 14" and end cap 20" (FIG. 15) are reducedcompared to the widths of case 14' and end cap 20' of carrier 12' (FIG.11) to permit easier handling. Second, cover portion 16" includes asupplemental enclosure portion, 150, extending outward therefrom to forma cavity in communication with the interior space of case 14" forupright storage of a pair of ski boots 133.

Cover portion 16" includes a first side, 26", a second side, 28", anend, 30", and a cover major wall, 24", and supplemental enclosure 150 isintegrally constructed therewith. Supplemental enclosure 150 includes afront, 152, extending outward from remaining portions of cover majorwall 24" and a back, 154, extending outward from remaining portions ofthe end wall 30, front 152 and back 154 being rounded to reduce windresistance when the ski carrier 12" is mounted on a vehicle.Supplemental enclosure 12" also includes a side, 156, extending outwardfrom remaining portions of first side 26", and a side, 158, extendingoutward from remaining portions of second side 28", sides 156 and 158being substantially in the same plane as first side 26" and second side28" respectively. Supplemental enclosure 150 includes a top, 160,joining front 152, back 154, and sides 156 and 158 together and issubstantially parallel to major wall 24".

Cover portion 16" is lined with a foam liner, 140', and holder portion18" is lined with foam liner 142 for holding skis 72 in place when case14" is closed. The interior of supplemental enclosure 150 is lined withan extended portion of foam liner 140' to accommodate and cushion skiboots 133. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, ski boots 133 are positioned insupplemental enclosure 150 such that the toe of the each ski boot facesthe open end of cover portion 16", and such that each toe extends beyondthe supplemental enclosure 150 so that the toes can be engaged and heldin place between foam liners 140' and 142. In other words, foam liners140' and 142 exert, respectively, downward and upward frictional forceson the toe of each ski boat 133 when cover portion 16" is closed,thereby securing ski boots 133 in place for transport of ski carrier12".

Returning to alternative ski carrier 12' of FIGS. 9 and 10, there is asubstantial convenience if that carrier can be stored, or rested, on endin an upright or vertical position with respect to a floor after beingmoved thereover by a user on wheels 63, or by carrying, into a spacelimited situation such as at an airline ticket counter. This can beaccomplished by providing case 14' with its end, comprised of end 30' ofcover 16' and end 44' of holder 18', as a flat surface, and with wheels63 set far enough inward in the direction of primary extent of majorwall 38' into the corresponding wheel spaces in holder 18' formed bywheel well structures 61 so that the outer diameters of these wheels donot reach end 44' as shown in FIG. 16. These outer diameters must, ofcourse, extend (in a direction perpendicular to that of the primaryextent of wall 38') below major wall 38' of holder 18' in that figure. Atendency of case 14' to otherwise roll about a flat surface on whichmajor wall 38' is positioned on wheels 63 is minimized by having theouter diameters of those wheels no further from the bottom of major wall38' than are the bottoms of pads 54' on supports 52' from that wall.Such a structure permits case 14' or a similar fully enclosed case, orcarrier 12', to be placed upright for temporary or long term storage byplacing the wheel end of that case, defined by end 30' and end 44' notreached by wheels 63, upon a horizontal surface such as a floor, perhapsby being merely tipped up over wheels 63 onto that end.

If case 14' by itself is being handled by a user, rough handling becauseof the weight of the items carried inside, because of the need tonegotiate through tight passages, or the like, can cause substantialtorsions to occur about the extended axis thereof, i.e. along itslength. Such twisting forces in that case can cause substantial stressesin latches 109, even to the point of causing failure in them in failingto stay closed. Such stresses can be much relieved by rigidifying themating of cover 16' to holder 18' of case 14' or a similar fullyenclosed case when such a case is closed by having placed cover 16'against holder 18'. This is accomplished by having the interfacelocations where cover 16' meets holder 18' when closed formed so as tohave a ridge along one of them fit into a groove in the other. Such astructure is shown in the view of FIG. 17 as a cross section view ofcase 14' from FIG. 16 where a groove, 162, in the interface lip of cover16' is shown mated with a ridge, 164, in the interface lip of cover 18'.A fragmentary detail view of this interface lip structure from theleftmost portion of it in FIG. 17 is shown in FIG. 18. Any lateralforces between cover 16' and holder 18' are resisted by the surfaces ofgroove 162 and ridge 164 pressing against one another in addition to theholding thereof by latches 109 to thus relieve the stress on theselatches.

Lateral positional stability of case 14' on the roof of a vehicle or fora similar fully enclosed case can be improved by a change from theearlier described situation of strap assemblies 22 being extendedthrough opposite side openings 48' in connecting that case to that roofof the automobile. In that arrangement, the case can in somecircumstances have a tendency to slide with the long strap assemblies22' from side to side because the placement of openings 48' very nearmajor wall 38' resulting in a more or less straight through sliding pathfor that case along the strap. Instead of raising the openings 48'higher up on sides 40' and 42' of holder 18' and away from major wall38' to thereby introduce a side force component in the straps, a pair ofstrap lugs, 166, can alternatively be riveted to opposite sides 40' and42' of holder 18'.

Such lugs are riveted at the locations of openings 48', or where thoseopenings previously were positioned if no longer used in thisalternative as can be seen in part in FIGS. 16 and 17. Strap lugs 166are positioned sufficiently far up side walls 40' and 42' of case 14' ora similar fully enclosed case, so that the bottom of an opening, 168, ineach of lugs 166 is above the bottom surface of major wall 38' but belowthe straight-sided portions of side walls 40' and 42'. That is, openings168 are across from the rounded corners joining sides 40' and 42' of thecase with major wall 38' thereof. In this relationship, openings 168 areaccessible to have a strap, 22', that passes across the bottom of thecase along major wall 38' threaded through each for affixing that caseto the roof of a vehicle. The positioning of the bottom of openings 168above the bottom plane of major wall 38' forces the strap 22' to upwardon both sides of strap 166 to pass through opening 168 thereby providingsome lateral forces on lugs 166 to prevent their sliding along the strapas shown in FIG. 17. FIG. 19 shows strap 166 riveted to side wall 40' ofFIG. 17 in greater detail. Note also in FIG. 16 the use of one or morestrap lugs, 170, on the top of cover 16' as a place to fasten addedstraps on top for aid in packing additional items on but outside of thecase or carrier 12' as desired by the user.

FIG. 20 shows an idealized version of ski carrier 12' or a case fullyenclosed similar to case 14'. The long dimension of that carrier or caseis given as X with the long dimension of handle 46' given as beinggreater than 0.2 X. This allows a user to shift his or her hand holdalong handle 46' to a point where the weights at the opposite ends ofthe case or carrier cause equal moments about the user's hand. This canbe quite helpful where the weight of the items packed inside of the caseor carrier is unevenly distributed along the length thereof, as movingthe user's hands allows a balancing to be made to avoid excessivemoments about the user's hand.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A case to hold selected items suitable for beingalternatively transported by carrying and by vehicular mounting, saidcase comprising:an openable case means comprising a cover portion and aholder portion, said cover portion being positionable with respect tosaid holder portion to thereby permit closing said case means about aninterior space formed therein and to permit opening said case means toexpose said case interior space, said case means being of extendedlength between first and second ends thereof along an axis, said firstend forming a substantially flat surface substantially perpendicular tosaid said axis, said holder portion having a holder major outer surfacejoining a pair of opposite sides of that said holder portion betweenopposite ends of said holder portion, said holder portion opposite sideseach having provided thereon outside thereof a strap lug with an openingtherein across from where said holder outer major surface joins saidpair of opposite sides at curved corners permitting access to saidopenings from along said holder major outer surface; and a pair ofwheels of a selected outer diameter mounted to said case means adjacentsaid case means first end so that each is positioned in a correspondingwheel space formed by a corresponding wheel well structure such saidouter diameter of each said wheel as mounted in said wheel spacetherefor does not reach said case means first end which is positionedwith respect to said wheels so that said case means can be selectivelyrested on said first end thereof when supported solely by asubstantially flat horizontal surface without also being substantiallysupported by said wheels.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said casemeans first end comprises together an end of said cover portion and anend of said holder portion, said cover portion has a cover major outersurface joining said cover end and said holder portion has a holdermajor outer surface joining said holder end, said wheels each positionedin said wheel space corresponding thereto such that said outer diameterof each said wheel extends past one of said cover and holder major outersurfaces.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cover portion inbeing positioned with respect to said holder portion to close said casemeans about an interior space results in meeting one another along a lipstructure thereof, one of said lip structures having a ridge therealongand that other having a groove therealong in which said ridge ispositioned when having so met.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising an extended handle extending substantially parallel to saidaxis for a distance exceeding one-fifth that length of said case meansbetween said first and second ends thereof.